Soldering apparatus



July V14, 1942. R. c. MARCEAU SOLDERING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Original Filed July 15, 1940 INVENTOR. ,fiaZB/XCM/ceaJz wz/zwfiwwATTORNEYS.

uly 14. 1942. R. c. MARCEAU I SOLDERING APPARATUS Original Filed July15, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Rm w w Patented July 14, 1942 i SQLDERENGAPFARATUS Robert filharles Marceau,- Riverside, R. If

Original application July 15, 1940, Serial No. 345,525. Dividedand thisapplication January 11, 1941, Serial No. 374,035

2 Gianna.

This application. is a division of application Serial No. 345,525, filedJuly 15, 1940. The invention. relates to a soldering apparatuamoreparticularly for the soldering of fiat tableware such, for instance, assoldering of the .silver handle to the steel blade of a knife.

The invention has for one of its objects to provide a simple, accurateand convenient mechanism requiring less skilled labor for the performingof a soldering operation of this character.

Another object of the invention is to provide a soldering clamp whichmay be simply and quickly loaded.

Another object of the invention is to provide a clamp which may bequickly operated.

Another object of the invention is to make automatic and free of manualerrors many of the operations in connection with the soldering of twopieces of Work together.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, as will be more fully described andparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings;

Fig. l is a perspective viewof a fragmental portion of the tableillustrating the unit of the apparatus in the relative positions whichthey Will assume in operation;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing on a larger scale the jig forholding the table knife in position for soldering; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a fragmental portion of the work.

In high grade flatware it is desirable that the handles be soldered ontothe blades of the knives; and to perform this accurately requiresskilled labor; or for quicker operation, a complicated machine, whichhas been found to be unsatisfactory. In order to simplify the solderingapparatus, Ihave arranged a jig to hold the handle and blade in desiredposition with blow torches for directing a gas flame to the desiredlocation for the application of heat, and I have also provided means forholding a water conduit for cooling when the heat has performed itsfunction; and the following is a more detailed description of thepresent embodiment of this invention, illustrating the preferred meansby which these advantageous results may be accomplished:

With reference to the drawings, l designates a table top or suitablesupport upon which the apparatus is mounted. At the forward edge of thetable adjacent to a position where the operator would be located andconvenient for the operator I have provided a jig designated generallyii and consisting of a body portion having a base it andstandard I3. Thebase is provided with. a suitable opening through which bolts l4 extendto secure the jig to the-table top as by means of Wing nuts I5.

A boss it is slotted as at H for the reception of the end of the bladeI8 of the table knife. Arms i9 and notched as at. 2| and 22 also receivethe upper portion of the blade of the table knife and fix the alignmentof the same in position. An arm 23 notched as at 24 receives the endportion of the handle 25 of the table knife, while an arm Zinotchedrasat 21 receives the largerintermediate portion of the table knife forproperly aligning these parts and locating them in relation to theblade.

A top plate 28 is hinged as at 29 to the upright standard I3 and isprovided with an opening 30 for the reception of the upper tip end ofthe handle 25 so asto assist in locating the handle in desired position,while a front plate 3| hinged as at 36 to the baseportion l2 forswinging to and from open and closed'position is provided with anupwardly inclined arm 32 notched as at 33 and a downwardly inclined arm34 notched as at 35 for the reception of the handle. These arms affordsome resiliency and are located on converging angles so as to well bracethe knife blade and handle in position. The base standard l3, top plateand front plate form a frame-like jig as illustrated.

In order to lock these two hingedrplates 3| and 28 in position, I haveprovided an. upstanding guide 31 having an opening 38 to suitably guidea bar 39. This is provided with a cross pin 45] and may be received in anotch 4| in the upper end of the plate 3| while a spring 42 abutting theshoulder 43 and the guide tends to move the bar 39 through the opening38 to pull the pin against the plate 3|. Release of this holding may behad by means of pulling on the handle 44 to slide the bar 39 against thetension of the spring 42 to permit the pin to be lifted over the edge ofthe plate 3|.

It will be readily apparent that the plate 3| when released may be swungto the dotted line position indicated at 3|, while the plate 28 may thenbe lifted to free the upper tip of the knife which is located in theopening 30.

Across the rear portion of the upright standard it, the support bar 45is secured, and upon this support bar there is suitably mounted thenozzles 45 having a T-shaped inlet 41 and an aligned inlet 48. Gasconduit 49 is connected to the inlet 41 and an air conduit 50 isconnected to the inlet 48 so that a blow torch is arranged inconjunction with the nozzles 46 which directs a flame to the desiredlocation on the work.

The support bar 45 also supports one or more conduits 5| for conveyingwater to nozzles 52, such nozzles being located on either side of thehandle at an upper location thereof so that when the water is caused toflow, the nozzles may cause water to trickle down the knife and cool thesame.

The gas conduits 49 are controlled by individual adjustment valves 53,(see Fig. 1), while both conduits lead from a common conduit 54 which iscontrolled by a solenoid valve 55 in an electric circuit for suitableoperation, and this conduit 54 is connected to the main conduit 56. Theair conduits are likewise controlled by manually-adjusted valves 51 andextend from common conduit 58 controlled by solenoid valve 59 comingfrom a common supply 60. The water conduit 5| is controlled by asolenoid valve 6| coming from some common source of supply 62.

A timing unit designated generally 65 is provided with a dial 66 andarms 6'! and 68 to be set for determining the time of closure of acircuit which will control the solenoid valves. The operation of thetiming unit is by means of a push button control 69 having buttons 16,H. In operation, the push button 16 is pressed, which in time causes thegas flame to heat the work to be soldered. After the soldering operationis completed, the flame is reduced to a mere pilot light which will bearranged for b reason of the setting of the valves. The operator willpush the button H, and the water will be applied to the work to cool thesame. Thereafter, the operator will open the jig by means of the handle44, remove the soldered blade and handle and place in the jig anotherhandle and blade for repeating the operation. The blade 18 has a pin I8to be received in the hollow handle 25, together with a piece of solder95 which is placed in the jig for the soldering operation. A series ofunits may be arranged along the table to be successively operated by anattendant.

In some instances, the timing device will be so arranged that uponcompletion of the flameapplying time, when this shuts ofi, water will becaused to be applied to the work for cooling the same, all automaticalland without the need of pressing a second button II. This is a meremechanical operation which may be readily arranged in the timing devicewhich is heretofore described.

I claim:

1. A knife soldering jig for holding the two component parts of a knifeto be soldered in assembled relation, comprising a fixed support havingtwo spaced portions to engage one side of each of the two componentparts and the end of one of them, a member hinged to said support andprovided with portions to engage the other side of each of the twocomponent parts at a location between the two spaced engaging portionsto clamp each of the parts against lateral movement, a second memberhinged to said support to engage the end of the other of the componentparts of the knife and force the parts longitudinally together, andmeans to releasably r clamp said members together and in engagement withthe knife parts to be soldered.

2. A knife soldering jig for holding the two component parts of a knifeto be soldered in assembled relation, comprising a fixed support havingtwo spaced portions to engage one side of each of the two componentparts and the end of one of them, a member hinged to said support andprovided with portions to engage the other side of each of the twocomponent parts at a location between the two spaced engaging portionsto clamp each of the parts against lateral movement, a second memberhinged to said support to engage the end of the other of the componentparts of the knife and force the parts longitudinally together, andresilient means to releasably clamp said members together and inengagement with the knife parts to be soldered, said resilient meansurging the first said member into engaging position.

ROBERT C. MARCEAU.

